Successful organizing is not built on self-interest but rather on dignity and a sense of purpose.

If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for, at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them.

I saw as a teacher how, if you take that spark of learning that those children have, and you ignite it, you can take a child from any background to a lifetime of creativity and accomplishment.

Education and democracy have the same goal: the fullest possible development of human capabilities.

We must renew democracy itself. We have to fight cynicism and inertia and restore faith in the advancement of our country.

I don't think politics has anything to do with left, right, or center. It has to do with trying to do right by people.

I emphasize self-esteem, self-confidence, and dignity, not as an ideal, but as a real test of community organization. Without leadership development, community organizations do not have staying power.